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With recent national news sharing stories of federal grant funding freezes to nonprofits and other organizations, I wanted to outline how Edmond Mobile Meals is funded to assuage any worries over our program being impacted by changes at the Federal level.

First, Edmond Mobile Meals does not receive any direct funding from either the state or federal government. We never want our program’s operations to be dependent on funding connected to political agendas that can change overnight.

Edmond Mobile Meals’ employs a diverse funding strategy, with no one source making up the majority of our operating budget. Our resource development and financial strategies are developed by the Chief Executive Officer alongside the Board of Directors to ensure transparency and accountability. Financial statements are reviewed and approved monthly by the Board of Directors, and subjected to an external audit annually by an outside CPA firm.

These are our major funding categories:

Client Contributions

When clients enroll in our program, we ask if they are able to contribute financially for their meals. We recommend a $4 per meal rate, however most of our clients are unable to contribute that amount. Approximately 45% of our clients receive meals at no-charge. The remaining clients contribute anywhere between $.50 - $5.00 per meal. We never require a client to pay in order to receive a meal. Our senior center patrons are recommended to contribute $5.00 per meal. We typically receive, on average, around $3

Private Donations:

Unsolicited personal donations from individuals, churches, companies or civic groups make up approximately 15% of our annual budget. These gifts may be made in memory or honor of a loved one. If someone sends us a one-time donation because they have heard about our mission and want to provide support, it usually falls into this category. Some of these donors are also major, annual or loyal donors who contribute significantly to the mission of our organization.

Grants:

We receive grants from numerous organizations and foundations. Grant revenue makes up 30% of our annual budget. Some grants are restricted to a specific expense, such as new equipment, while others are unrestricted to be used for any operational expense of the organization. In recent news, congress is considering eliminating Social Services Block Grants, which are administered to local municipalities and then the City disperses to local nonprofit organizations based on an application and meeting certain requirements set forth by the funding guidelines and City priorities. One such grant is the Community Development Block Grant. Edmond Mobile Meals does receive this grant from the City of Edmond each year. Should this program be eliminated by Congress, Edmond Mobile Meals would lose this funding. Other grant sources include; The City of Edmond CARC program, Sarkeys Foundation, The Kirkpatrick Family Fund, The Anderson Foundation, The Harris Foundation, Oklahoma Natural Gas, and many, many others!

Community Partnerships:

Edmond Mobile Meals has established several key community partnerships to replace fundraising events. Fundraising events can be costly in both time and resources, and while they do still play a role in our development plans, we do not rely on them as heavily each year. We have community partnerships with Valor Bank, Homes By Taber, Life.Church, and the Keller-Williams Red Day Run. These local organizations are more engaged with our program than a one-time donor, and typically volunteer with us frequently. Community philanthropy is integrated in their organizational culture. These are long-term, strategic partnerships that support the sustainability goals of Edmond Mobile Meals. Community Partnerships make up 10% of our annual budget.

Fundraising Campaigns/Events:

We have two major fundraising campaigns each year, and one fundraising event. These are direct solicitations we make to our community to support our operations. We have a monthly giving campaign called “Just Feed One”. This campaign is based on a quote from Mother Teresa that said “If you can’t feed a hundred people, then just feed one.” Monthly donors set up automatic donations, and range from $5 per month to $250 per month. Edmond Mobile Meals’ biggest fundraising campaign is our Annual Fund “More than a Meal” campaign. Most of our annual, repeat donors contribute to the success of this end-of-year giving campaign. Finally, we host an annual golf tournament in the spring. This event is a low-expense, high return event for the organization. 2025 will be the 9^th year for this event, and it grows a little bit each year. Fundraising makes up 20% of our annual budget.

Endowment/Investment Income:

One of the biggest achievements of the past decade for Edmond Mobile Meals was the growth of our permanent endowment fund held at the Oklahoma City Community Foundation. We reached $1 million in our endowment fund in recent years, and this will provide a stable, permanent source of revenue for the organization in perpetuity. Each year the organization receives a distribution from the endowment which provides the equivalent in revenue of a large fundraising event, without any expense. This category of revenue is a key piece in the sustainability of Edmond Mobile Meals for the long run. The endowment fund distribution makes up approximately XX% of the organization’s annual budget.

Edmond Mobile Meals has strategically invested funds in high-yield accounts that also allow the funds to be fully liquid in case of an emergency situation. This category makes up 7% of our annual budget.

In-Kind Income:

An in-kind donation is a contribution of goods or services instead of money. These donations can include physical items (like food, clothing, or equipment), professional services (such as legal or marketing support), or other non-cash resources that support an organization, business, or individual. In-kind donations are commonly used in nonprofit and charitable work, where donors provide tangible support rather than direct financial contributions. Edmond Mobile Meals primarily receives in-kind donations for kitchen supplies, client birthday gifts, fundraising events, and office supplies. It makes up approximately 3% of our annual budget.

If you have any questions regarding Edmond Mobile Meals’ funding and financials, please contact Chief Executive Officer Cristi Twenter at cristi@edmondmobilemeals.org.